The rubber game of the series could be even more interesting than usual. Both teams have been doing a lot of talking, pitchers from both sides thowing at hitters. Then after yesterday's game there was a little celebration on the field by Texas, that didn't sit well with Tech. There should be more bad blood today most likely. It's a must win for Texas, if the Horns are ever going to get back to the .500 mark on the season. The game is on Fox Southwest and other Fox Sports stations and the audio on texassports.com Line-ups coming up:
Hayden Howard, a junior left hander will get the start today, for Texas Tech. This is his first start of the season, as he has been the closer all year. He is 6-1 and an era of 1.91 in 47 innings of relief. Wind is blowing briskly across the field from right to left field. Travis Jones, the Horn DH, will again lead off, batting right handed. A grounder to second goes 4-3, for the first out of the game. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with an out, he plays third base today. A fly ball to the track in left is two away. The catcher is Tres Barrera, batting righty, with two down. He flies the first pitch to left center and that retires the side in order. Texas with nothing doing and Tech to bat.
Sophomore right hander is Kyle Johnston, who gets his usual Sunday start, for the Horns, with a 2-1 record, command as usual will tell his outing. Stephen Smith, the right fielder, will lead off for the Red Raiders, batting righty. A full count and he K's swinging on a slider in the dirt, the tag applied by Barrera, one down. Second baseman is Michael Davis, batting lefty, with an out. Ground ball to third and the 5-3 is two away. Tanner Gardner plays centerfield, bats lefty, with two outs. Another full count and he walks on a low fast ball, for the first runner of the game. The DH is righty hitting Cory Raley, with a man on and two gone. A fast ball on the outside corner is taken for the second K of the inning, side retired. One played and 0-0.
Howard back to the hill for Tech, in the second. Texas will send lefty hitting first baseman, Kacy Clemens, up to lead off. Another roller to second goes 4-3, one away. Joe Baker will bat righty, the Horn DH, with an out. A ground ball toward the hole on the left side, the shortstop throws late and Texas with another infield hit. Man on and one away for Patrick Mathis, batting lefty, the right fielder. Baker goes and steals second. A wild pitch will send Baker to third. Contact with a grounder or fly ball with some depth will give Texas the lead. A full count and he walks on an outside fast ball, two on. Runners on the corners for Zane Gurtwitz, batting righty, with one away. He bunts and the pitcher fields and flips from his glove home and Baker is out 1-2 at the plate, two down, safety squeeze fails. Rand bats righty, with two on and two down, playing centerfield. A passed ball sends the runners to second and third. So a hit to the outfield could plate two runs. He slams a fly ball to left and his first homer of the season, will plate three runs. Texas leads 3-0. Bottom of the order is Jake McKenzie, batting righty, with two outs. He is hit by a fast ball and there is one of those hit batters we talked about. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with two down and one on. McKenzie is picked off first 1-3, to end the inning. Texas gets three on the Rand homer and leads 3-0, bottom of two.
Johnston pitches the second for Texas, with the lead. The Red Raiders lead off with lefty hitting Tyler Nesloney, their left fielder. He walks for a lead runner. First baseman is Erick Gutierrez, batting righty, with a man on. Grouder to second goes 4-6-3, the double play is two down. Ryan Long bats lefty, as the third baseman, with two outs. A fly ball to right will end the frame. Two gone and Texas leads 3-0.
Howard back to the mound for the third, for the Red Raiders. The Longhorns lead off with the top of the order in Jones, batting righty. He was left standing when McKenzie was picked off first. A fly ball to right center will drop and Jones legs it into second for a double, the throw off line to second. Coach out and the bullpen gets up and working. Kody Clemens step in, batting lefty, with a man on. A hard grounder by the first baseman and down the line in right field and it rattles around, the triple will score another run. Texas leads 4-0. Barrera bats righty, with a man on third. He walks on four pitches, to put two on. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with runners on the corners. He walks on four pitches also and the bases are loaded. Don't know what they are waiting on to get this guy out of the game. Finally the head coach out and the pitching change is made.
The new pitcher for Tech is Ryan Shetter, a right hander. Howard certainly didn't look good as a starter, now Tech is without their closer also, for the rest of the game. Bases loaded for Baker, batting righty. A full count and a liner down the line in left and it goes for a double and two more runs. Texas leads 6-0. Mathis bats lefty, with two on. A fly ball to left goes for a SF, one away. Texas leads 7-0. Gurwitz bats righty, with a man on second, one away. Another wild pitch will move the runner to third. Infield comes in. A ground ball will go by the drawn in third baseman, for a single and another run. Texas leads 8-0. One on and one out for Rand, with one away. His homer with two outs got all the offense started today. He flies out to centerfield, for two gone. McKenzie bats righty, with one on and one out. Fly ball to left will end the inning. Texas gets five more and who knew that Tech didn't have three starting pitchers. Texas leads 8-0, bottom of three.
Johnston back out for the third, after a long stint in the Texas dugout, hope he stayed loose. Tech leads off with their shortstop, Orlando Garcia, batting righty. He flies out to centerfield, one down. The catcher is Tyler Floyd, batting righty, with an out. A full count reached and he walks, for a runner. Top of the order is Smith, batting righty, with one away and one on. He K's swinging again on the change up, two gone. Davis bats lefty, with one on and two outs. A fly ball to left is the third out. Johnston didn't let the long wait affect him, Texas leads 8-0, after three full.
Shetter back to pitch the fourth for the Red Raiders. Top of the order up again for Texas, that means Jones will be batting righty. Grounder to second goes 4-3, one down. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with an out. A grounder gets by the second baseman into short right field, fore a single and a runner. Righty hitter is Barrera, with a man on and one out. He walks to put two on. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two on and one away. Runners go and the pitch gets away, a double steal. Infield comes in again. He walks to load the bases, as Tech pitching is really imploding. Coach out again to stall, as the bullpen is up and working again. Righty hitting Baker is up, with the bases loaded, one out. A full count and a fly ball to left center and the left field looked like he might get it, but it goes off his glove, on a semi-dive, a double scored and two more runs. Texas leads 10-0. Coach out and another pitching change.
On Friday I thought the early 5-0 lead was looking good for us. We may need a few more to close this one out. But hot damn, 10-0. Nice.
The next pitcher for Tech is Jacob Patterson, a left handed sophomore. He faces Mathis, batting lefty, with runners on second and third, one out. Infield stays in and that hasn't worked so far at all. As we say that a grounder goes by the drawn in first baseman, the single scores two more. Texas leads 12-0. Gurwitz bats righty, with a man on and one away. A wild pitch and a throw to second goes into centerfield, Mathis didn't know it, he stays at second. He walks to put two on. Righty hitter is Rand, with two on and one away. Grounder to third and the play goes 5U, two outs. Bottom of the order is McKenzie, batting righty, with two on and two outs. A blooper falls in left center and the single scores another run, the onslaught continues. Texas leads 13-0. Top of the order is Jones again hitting in this inning, Horns batting around. Two on and two outs for him, batting righty. A grounder to short and the play goes 6U, to finally end the inning. Texas adds five more, to lead 13-0, bottom of four.
So Johnston out after an even longer stint on the bench, to pitch the Tech fourth. Gardner will lead off and bat lefty. He grounds to first and the 3U is one away. Righty hitter is Raley, with an out. He grounds a single through the right side, the first hit of the game and first since the fifth inning of yesterday's game, for Tech. Nesloney bats lefty, with one on and one out. He pops up foul on the third base side, two gone. Gutierrez bats righty, with a man on and two down. A full count and the runner goes and he walks to put two aboard. That brings up Long, batting lefty, two on and two away. He K's swinging at the hard slider, to end the inning. Tech breaks up the no-hitter, but nothing more. Texas leads 13-0, after four.
Patterson comes back to pitch the sixth, because he has to. Texas leads off with lefty hitting, Kody Clemens. A grounder to second and he boots it and then throws it away, but Clemens holds at first, on the E-4. One on for Barrera, batting right handed. A grounder by third baseman and down the left field line, is a double to put two on. Coach out and another pitching change.
The latest pitcher for Tech is lefty Parker Mushinsky, who pitched yesterday. Kacy Clemens will face him batting lefty, with two on. Infield in again. A ground ball to first is a 3U out one, runners hold. Sunday is the only day their is a run rule in effect, because it's the last game. The only exception to the seven inning rule would be if a time limit was in effect.
If we get a couple more we should surely run rule them. Can't see Johnston and Shugart allowing more than 5 runs today.
Baker bats righty, with two on. They put him on to load the bases and set up the double play and lefty on lefty match up. Mathis bats lefty, with the bases loaded, one away. He flies out foul down the left field line, two away, runners hold again. Coach out and another pitching change.
Dalton Brown, big right hander comes in now for Tech. He faces Gurwitz, batting righty, with two on and two down. A pop up on the right side and the side down. Texas doesn't score and it's almost a let down. Horns lead 13-0 halfway through the finale of the series.
Johnston out for the fifth, trying to become the pitcher of record and get a pretty probable win. Tech leads off with a pinch hitter in Anthony Lyons, batting lefty. A fly ball to left center is one away. Floyd bats righty, with an out. A fly ball to left and it goes out, for a homer. Texas leads 13-1. Top of the order is Smith, batting righty. A liner to right center is a single, for a trunner. Davis bats lefty, with one on and one out. He flies to right, for two away. Gardner up lefty, with one on and two outs. He grounds to second and the 4-3 will end the inning. Tech gets on the board, Texas leads 13-1, after five.
Brown back to pitch the sixth. Rand bats righty, leading off. Grounder to second is booted, the E-4 is a lead runner. McKenzie bats righty, with one on. He grounds to first and the play goes 1-6, for one out. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with one on and one out. He grounds into a 5-4-3 double play, the side down. Bottom of six and Texas ahead 13-1.
